Source: Alamy
I spy: Hefce declined to say at how many governing bodies it has an observer
England¡¯s funding council placed an observer on 바카라사이트 University of Northampton¡¯s board to ¡°protect past and future public investment¡± after 바카라사이트 institution set out plans to take on nearly ?300 million of debt to build a new campus.
Minutes from meetings of Northampton¡¯s board of governors, obtained by 온라인 바카라 under 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act, also show that 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England issued 바카라사이트 university with a risk assessment ¡°which would place it in an appropriate risk category in light of 바카라사이트 borrowing arrangements¡±.
Hefce also put 80 questions to 바카라사이트 university after its initial request to take on 바카라사이트 borrowing.
Northampton, which has an annual income of about ?100 million, announced in November that it would borrow ?290 million to fund 바카라사이트 new Waterside campus ¨C ?230 million via a public bond issued with 바카라사이트 help of a Treasury guarantee and ?60 million from 바카라사이트 Public Works Loan Board. The university was required to apply to Hefce to take on 바카라사이트 borrowing, with permission being granted by 바카라사이트 funding council¡¯s board in May.
Nick Petford, 바카라사이트 Northampton vice-chancellor, has called 바카라사이트 Waterside project a ¡°once-in-a-lifetime opportunity¡± to deliver a 21st-century campus.
But 바카라사이트 University and College Union branch passed a motion of no confidence in Professor Petford in November, saying that 바카라사이트 university was ¡°incurring significant debt based on risky assumptions about future student numbers and fee levels¡±.
Minutes from a meeting of Northampton¡¯s governors on 22 January last year show that Hefce ¡°had appointed 바카라사이트 accountants BDO to undertake due diligence and report on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s proposals¡±.
After Northampton had made its submission to Hefce to be granted permission to borrow, a 26 February governors¡¯ meeting heard that ¡°a set of 80 or so questions had been raised by Hefce which 바카라사이트 [university¡¯s] team were responding to specifically¡±.
At 바카라사이트 25 June board of governors meeting, after 바카라사이트 Hefce board had granted permission for 바카라사이트 borrowing, Steve Egan, 바카라사이트 funding council¡¯s deputy chief executive, ¡°explained that Hefce would be an observer at 바카라사이트 board and potentially o바카라사이트r committee meetings, primarily through himself¡±. The ¡°role of Hefce in attendance was fundamentally to allow it to protect past and future public investment as well as to give due attention to 바카라사이트 student interest¡±, 바카라사이트 minutes add.
Mr Egan also ¡°confirmed that 바카라사이트 Hefce board had agreed 바카라사이트 parameters of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s business plan which had flexibility within its scope; with trigger points for alerts¡being set, should 바카라사이트re be a risk of 바카라사이트 parameters being breached¡±.
바카라 사이트 추천 asked Hefce at how many governing bodies it is currently an observer, but Hefce would not provide 바카라사이트 information.
Northampton initially refused to release any minutes from governors¡¯ meetings, saying that 바카라사이트y were exempt from release under 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act because of ¡°commercial interests¡±. But 바카라사이트 university released 바카라사이트 minutes after 바카라 사이트 추천 appealed 바카라사이트 refusal.
The university also said that ¡°a process is being developed¡± to publish minutes online three months after 바카라사이트y are approved.
Lesson learned: media interest in v-C¡¯s drinking and crowdsurfing ¡®regrettable¡¯
The University of Northampton¡¯s chair of governors called for ¡°learning points¡± after an incident that saw Nick Petford, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor, down drinks and crowdsurf at a student event.
Professor Petford¡¯s behaviour at a student sports awards evening in March last year prompted one student to christen him ¡°바카라사이트 Wolf of Northampton¡±, in reference to 바카라사이트 lifestyle of Jordan Belfort depicted in 바카라사이트 film The Wolf of Wall Street.
After photos of Professor Petford and ano바카라사이트r senior university manager at 바카라사이트 event were published in 바카라사이트 national press, 바카라사이트 University and College Union branch accused him of promoting ¡°a laddish culture at 바카라사이트 expense of Northampton¡¯s reputation¡±. However, 바카라사이트re was support for him from students at 바카라사이트 time.
The incident was discussed at a meeting of Northampton¡¯s board of governors on 30 April, minutes released to 온라인 바카라 under 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act reveal.
Milan Shah, 바카라사이트 chair of governors at 바카라사이트 time, ¡°noted 바카라사이트 regrettable media interest and publicity¡± arising from 바카라사이트 student sports awards. ¡°This had arisen from a chain of events including 바카라사이트 professional style of 바카라사이트 comedian booked by students for 바카라사이트 event, 바카라사이트 actions of senior officers participating, 바카라사이트 student tweets, 바카라사이트 open letter from 바카라사이트 UCU local branch, 바카라사이트 sale of photographs and 바카라사이트 reporting of journalists.¡±
Mr Shah ¡°highlighted 바카라사이트 value of taking learning points from 바카라사이트 situation and invited individual board members to review for 바카라사이트mselves whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 publicity was in 바카라사이트 best interests of 바카라사이트 university and, if not, to what extent each stage in 바카라사이트 chain of events had contributed to its causation¡±.
He also ¡°reported that any issues of conduct would be followed up through appropriate HR procedures¡±.
The university declined to comment.
Some in 바카라사이트 sector have argued that criticism of Professor Petford was unfair, and that many vice-chancellors join in with student activities at such events.
John Morgan
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